studying cerebrospinal fluid proteins and angiogenesis proteins in young patients with newly diagnosed central nervous system tumors

Conditions: Brain and Central Nervous System Tumors

Summary: rationale: studying samples of cerebrospinal fluid from patients with cancer in the laboratory may help doctors identify biomarkers related to cancer. purpose: this laboratory study is studying cerebrospinal fluid proteins and angiogenesis proteins in young patients with newly diagnosed central nervous system tumors.

objectives: primary * investigate the feasibility of centrally collecting and processing high-quality cerebrospinal fluid (csf) samples from pediatric patients with newly diagnosed central nervous system tumors for proteomic studies. * identify protein markers that might indicate the presence of a brain tumor using csf samples collected from these patients. outline: this is a multicenter study. patients undergo cerebrospinal fluid (csf) collection from any or all of the following 5 sites: lumbar, cervical, ommaya, intra-operative (ventricular, cisternal), and/or external ventricular drain. csf is obtained within 8 weeks of diagnosis but prior to (or concurrent with) the initiation of any post-operative therapy (excluding corticosteroids). csf samples are examined for proteomic biomarkers by 2d gel electrophoresis, low-mass fingerprinting, and stable isotope labeling. projected accrual: a total of 99 patients will be accrued for this study.

Eligibility criteria:
disease characteristics: * histologically confirmed cns tumors of any of the following histologies: * diffuse pontine gliomas\* * focal/infiltrative tumors, including any of the following: * high- and low-grade gliomas * gangliogliomas * ependymomas * oligodendrogliomas * craniopharyngioma * dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumors * other low-grade neoplasms * optic pathway gliomas\* * seeding tumors, including any of the following: * germ cell tumors (germinomas and nongerminomas) * embryonal tumors, including any of the following: * medulloblastoma * pineoblastoma * supratentorial primitive neuroectodermal tumors * atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumor * other embryonal tumors note: \*histological requirement waived * newly diagnosed disease * cerebrospinal fluid (csf) obtained as part of csf diversion, initial diagnosis/staging, or administration of intrathecal chemotherapy (at the initiation of postoperative therapy) patient characteristics: * less than 22 years of age prior concurrent therapy: * no prior radiotherapy or chemotherapy * prior corticosteroids allowed

Keywords: childhood central nervous system germ cell tumor childhood choroid plexus tumor childhood grade i meningioma childhood grade ii meningioma childhood grade iii meningioma childhood atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumor untreated childhood visual pathway glioma childhood infratentorial ependymoma childhood supratentorial ependymoma newly diagnosed childhood ependymoma childhood craniopharyngioma untreated childhood medulloblastoma untreated childhood cerebellar astrocytoma untreated childhood supratentorial primitive neuroectodermal tumor untreated childhood brain stem glioma untreated childhood visual pathway and hypothalamic glioma childhood high-grade cerebral astrocytoma childhood low-grade cerebral astrocytoma childhood central nervous system choriocarcinoma childhood central nervous system embryonal tumor childhood central nervous system germinoma childhood central nervous system mixed germ cell tumor childhood central nervous system teratoma childhood central nervous system yolk sac tumor